Annapolis murder suspect expected to turn himself in

Andrea F. Siegel, The Baltimore Sun

An Annapolis man suspected in the shooting death of a man and injury of a woman in the city's Robinwood public housing neighborhood is expected to turn himself in to police on Wednesday, his lawyer said.

Clarence Eugene Johnson has been sought by Annapolis police since mid-December, when police obtained a murder warrant for him less than two days after the shootings.

Joseph Louis Johnson III died in the shooting, and Jana Jackson, 31, was wounded. The fatal shooting victim and defendant are not related, but the victims and suspect knew each other, police said.

"He is turning himself in because he wants to tell his side of the story. He is adamant about his innocence," Cochran said. "There are two sides to every story."

He declined to describe Johnson's account of events, but said, "Apparently there was a party and he was there that night."

Police were called to a residence in the 1400 block of Tyler Ave. shortly after 9 p.m. Dec. 12 for a report of shots fired. The shootings led the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis to hold a briefing the next day largely to assure residents that the neighborhood was safe, and to encourage them to cooperate with police who were canvassing the area.

Cochran said Johnson decided to turn himself in after learning he was being sought, and seeing himself all over area news outlets.